Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

RYKO

M y grak is displeased with me, both for starting a fight and for being with Lily. At this point, I'm not sure which angers him more. And I lied to him, something I've never done before. But I would do anything to protect my Lily, my mate.

"I told you to stay away from the human females. You disobeyed."

"I—"

"Silence!" he snaps at me, despite several humans standing nearby. They move back, giving us more space.

"You risked everything I've been working toward, Ryko," he lowers his voice, well aware of the humans nearby. "I finalized a deal with the humans today. They will give me a female soon, but if they discover what you've done, it may destroy everything."

I hadn't been thinking about the treaty, only my Lily. When it comes to her, I am like a blind sartog. I see little else except her.

"You will no longer get a female until much later. This is part of your punishment. I will take the first one. "

That is a relief since I've already mated Lily. For the first time in weeks, I'm hopeful that my grak will grant me permission to bring Lily to Mount Racha. Now that he has reached an agreement with the humans, many of their females will come to our colony.

"I understand, Grak. Which female will they give you? The flame-haired one?" I ask as I debate how to request permission to bring Lily to our mountain.

"No. The one with the tight curls and curvy body. There," he says pointing toward the entrance to the common area where a guard escorts… my Lily!

"Lily is my mate. You cannot touch her!"

He doesn't react. Shows no sign of surprise, no concern. He vekking knows that Lily is my female.

"Unless you performed risha, the female can be taken. And I intend to take her," he says with a calm, determined voice.

"We performed risha. Earlier today," I say, but I can't relax, not while his eyes follow Lily.

"Who witnessed?" he demands.

"The gods."

"No other?"

I don't reply.

My grak's upper lip curls. "Without warriors to witness, it was not a true mating. The female known as Lily will be mine."

"No!"

He turns to me so fast, I'm shocked to find he hasn't gutted me in the same move.

"I knotted her," I confess, a truth that will bar any other from mating her, including my grak. "She may already carry my youngling."

A growl starts deep in his chest. "She is not on the list, Ryko!" A knife slips into his hand as rage fills his eyes. "If you left her with a youngling, they'll discover and end our treaty before we get the females we need. "

Not on the list… the vekker never planned to take her. He baited me and I walked right into his trap.

"Request the humans add her to the list," I demand, no longer placating my grak. "They can take one of the other females off the list and add Lily, keeping the agreed upon tally."

"You've had time to give this much thought, but no time to inform me of your crimes against me." Another growl, deeper this time. He's beyond irritated.

I keep from wincing and say, "I'll gladly submit to any punishment."

"What punishment would change you, Ryko, into the warrior you should be? Shall I kill your female so you know true pain?"

My hand grips a knife at my side, but I don't draw it. He's baiting me again, but he's waiting for an answer, and this is no game. I either offer him a solution or wait for death.

"You would not kill a female, let alone one who may carry an orc youngling."

His ridges rise a fraction of an inch. He won't admit I'm right. "You disappoint me, warrior." He walks toward Lily and the human male escorting her from Pen'Kesh.

"Grak!" I call, but he doesn't stop.

I race to him, matching his long stride. "Keep her from me as punishment for as long as you deem appropriate, Grak, but do not force her to stay with the humans. If she begins to show?—"

"They would not kill her," he says casually as if he's thought through all the permutations. "Unless they discover the youngling is half orc. Pray your female does not reveal who she has mated then, warrior. "

He realizes he has time. Time before she shows, time before a youngling would be born and they'd know for sure she mated an orc. Time enough for him to take the females promised to our people per the terms of the treaty.

Atox in Grak would sacrifice my Lily in exchange for securing dozens of other females .

"I will not leave her to die."

He halts, and slowly faces me, his hand freeing a knife from his weapons harness.

"I have no defense, Grak," I continue, because my only hope of saving Lily from the danger I've put her in is my grak, who can be reasoned with. I hope. "I deserve your wrath, but this female is innocent, and she is mine. I will protect her until my dying breath. Which means taking her away from those who would harm her."

My grak stands as stiff as a tree, unyielding and unreadable.

Fear fills me. Not for the knife my grak rotates in his hand, but for my inability to sway him. I should be dead for disobeying my grak, lying to him, and now arguing with him. But I cannot leave my mate to suffer or be killed.

"I knotted her during risha. By our laws, she's orc now, Grak."

Black eyes narrow on me as his lower lip recedes so far I see the root of his tusks. "Do not belittle me further by reminding me of our laws, Warrior."

"I wish to bring her to Mount Racha, where she will be safe."

"No."

I cannot give up, not when Lily's in danger from her people. If any of their males overheard our conversation, they'll punish her.

He slams the knife back into his sheath. "Find Sojek, gather the gorjas, and wait for me," he adds in an unnervingly calm voice.

"Grak—"

"Now!" he bellows.

The humans and moxxels nearby stop moving and talking. Everyone watches us. They've seen what we did to the vints, not that they care about the vints. Or orcs, for that matter. But they've never seen one orc fight another. If they did, they'd be terrified and flee. Such a fight would be brutal… and drawn out. Not quick as with the vints.

In the distance, Lily gasps, and then an argument erupts between her and the guard. "So you can fuck a beast but won't let me touch you?" he says so loud everyone hears.

I step in her direction, intending to shred the male threatening her.

Within a second, my grak's knife rests against my throat. "I don't care that you've knotted that female. You will not go near her or any other human. You've interfered enough."

"You cannot keep me from protecting my mate," I snarl. I do not wait for my grak's reply. I take another step toward her.

Something hits me hard on the back of my head. I strike the ground, hearing Lily's cries in the distance as I struggle to stay conscious. Blackness surrounds me and I cannot move.

My grak bends down beside me, the tip of his knife digging into my throat…